Machine for treating metal pipes or tubing.



No. 686,92l. Patentad Nov. I9, I90!. C. N. BROWN. mAcHmE FOR TREATINGMETAL PIPES 0B TUBING.

- (Application filed Dec. 18, 1899.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Shoat l.

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' Patonted Nov. 19, l90l. C. N. BROWN.

MACHINE FOR TREATING METAL PIPES 0B TUBING.

(Applicltion filed Dec. 18, 1899.)

(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Shoet 2 C. N. BROWN.

Patented Nov. [9, I901.

MACHINE FOR TREATING METAL PIPES 0R TUBING.

(No Model.)

(Application filed Dec. 13, 1899.)

WITNESSES! 5 Sheets-Shad 3.

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No. 686,921. Patented Nov. I9, I90].

c. a. snows. IAOHINE FOR TREATING METAL PIPES 0B TUBING.

(Applicnfion and Doc. 19, 1899.)

(m5 Model.) 5 smu-snm 4.

Patented Nov. l9, I90l.

C. N. BROWN. MACHINE FOR TREATING METAL PIPES DB TUBING.

(Application filed Dec. 1a; 1899.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

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UlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CHARLES N. BROW'N, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES S.WVILSON, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR TREATING'METAL PIPES OR TUBING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 686,921, datedNovember 19, 1901. Application filed December 18,1899. Serial No.740,163. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. BROWN, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusettsmave invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Treating Metal Pipes or Tubing, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel machine for treating metal pipes ortubing; and it consists in certain novel features of construction andarrangement, which are hereinafter fully described in the specification,clearly illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan View of amachine constructed in accordance with my invention with a portionbroken away. Figs. 2 and 3 represent opposite side elevations with por-2o tions broken away. Figs. 4 and 5 represent opposite end elevations.Fig. 6 represents a Vertical longitudinal section, partly broken away.Fig. 7 represents an enlarged elevation of one of the idle rolls. Fig. 8represents a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

The object of the invention is to remove scale from the interior andexterior of metal pipes or tubes and also to straighten or bend thesame.

Referring to the drawings, in which I have illustrated an embodiment ofmy invention selected by me for the purpose of illustrating theinvention, 1 designates the machine bed or frame, which has bearings fora main shaft 2, equipped with a belt-pulley 3 and with a gear-pinion 4.Said pinion meshes with two gears 5 and 6, mounted on the ends of shafts7 and 8, to which are secured rolls 9 and 10. Above the roll 9 is asimilar roll 11, mounted to rotate in suitable bearings, which have avertical movement opposed by adjusting-screws 12 12, which regulate the4; pressure between the rolls 9 and 11. The

shaft 13, to which roll 11 is secured, is provided on one end with agear let, meshing with a gear 15 of similar size on the shaft 7 of thelower roll, whereby the two rolls of the pair are caused to rotate incommon at an equal speed. In a similar manner the roll 10 is opposed bya roll 16, mounted above it upon a shaft 17, which has a gear 18 on itsend meshing with a similar gear 19 on the shaft 8 of the lower roll, thebearings of the upper shaft 17 being capable of vertical movement, whichis opposed by adjusting screws 20. Each of the rolls 9 ll of one pairand the rolls 10 and 16 of the other pair are provided withcircumferential semicircular grooves 21 22 23 24:, the groove in oneroll being in the same plane as the groove in the opposed roll andconforming to the cross-sectional contour of the pipe as the latter ispassed between the rolls and the grooves in the two pairs of rolls beinglocated in the same plane.

25 is a'horizontal bar or rest upon which the pipe may besupported priorto its entrance between the rolls 9 11, and 26 is a funnel gage andguide adapted to direct the end ofthe pipe properly into the rolls andgage it prior to its entrance.

Located between the pairs of large drivingrolls 9 11 1O 16 is a pair ofsmallopposed idle rolls 27 27, mounted with their axes of rotationvertical, the'axes of rotation of the driving-rolls being horizontal.The rolls 27 are supported upon a suitable base or part of themachine-frame 28 and are grooved circumferentially to conform to thepipe and so located as to guide the pipe from one pair of drivingrollsto the other without deflection. An adjustment constructed as follows isprovided for the rolls 27, whereby the space between them may beincreased or diminished or the orifice between them moved laterally as awhole. 29 is a pintle passing centrally through the roll 27 and forminga bearing therefor, said pintle being bored ecccntrically with a holewhich is occupied by a vertical rod or stud 30, projecting upwardly fromthe base 28. The pintle 29 has an enlargement or base 31 at its lowerend, upon which the roll 27 rests, and the upper end of the pintleprojects slightly above the upper end of the roll and is surmounted by awasher 32 and a nut 33, which screws on the upper end of the stud 30.The pintle 29 may therefore be held at any angular adjustment byscrewing down the nut 33, the varying angular adjustments of the pintlegiving different adjustments to the roll 27 in a lateral plane.

Beyond the'second pair of driving-rolls 1O 16 are located a series ofgrooved idle rolls 34 34, similar to the rolls 27 and adapted to engagethe pipe on opposite sides, the rolls on one side of the path of thepipe being in this instance, however, positioned alternately to thoserolls on the opposite side of said path. The rolls 34 rotate in the sameplane with the rolls 27. At the end of the series of rolls 34 is acircular die 35, having a flaring entrance and located in the path ofthe pipe.

36 represents rolls similar to the rolls 34.

The operation is as follows: The drivingrolls being set in motion bymeans of power applied to the shaft 2, the pipe resting on the bar orrest 25 is introduced into the guide 26, which directs the end of thepipe properly between the first pair of driving-rolls 9 11. The groovedsurfaces of said rolls receive and propel the pipe, at the same timeexertinga slight squeezingzor crushing action thereon, which distortsthe pipe somewhat and tends to loosen any scale which may reside on theinterior walls of the pipe. The rolls 27 serve to prevent auy curling orbending of the pipe which might take place as a result of its passagethrough the driving-rolls 9 11. They have no compressing or reducingfunction. Passing from the rolls 27 the pipe enters between the secondpair of driving-rolls 1O 16, which exert a propelling and slightdistorting action similar to that of the first pair of driving-rolls.The effect of said second pair of driving-rolls is counteracted andcorrected and the pipe straightened by the action of the rolls 34 34c.The pipe then passes through the die 35,which removes any scale clingingto the outer surface of the pipe, and may be repeated, it necessary, andfinally passes between the rolls of the series 36,which are not shown infull in the drawings, but are arranged similarly to the idle rolls 34and provided with a similar adjustment. By suitably adjusting the rolls36 the pipe can be finally delivered from the machine in either straightor bent condition. In passing through the machine the pipe will ingeneral receive more or less of a permanent elongation. This isincidental to the slight compression which the pipe undergoes; but it isnot a prominent feature of the action of the machine. In passing throughthe driving-rolls a slight progressing annular wave or wrinkle is formedin the walls of the pipe in advance of the rolls, which loosens thescale on the inside of the pipe. The scale is very brittle,and theamount of distortion of the pipe-walls necessary to loosen it istherefore slight. The treatment of the pipe according to my inventiondistinguishes in this regard from the process of rolling a metal bar orrod. For the latter process it is common to employ a train of groovedrolls mounted in pairs, which are driven or which revolve atsuccessively-increasing speeds necessitated by the relatively largeelongation which the rolls produce in the rod. The orifices or passesbetween succeeding pairs of rolls are uniformly reduced in area, so asto effect the desired reduction in the rod. A process essentiallysimilar has been proposed for reducing or elongating pipes or tubes. Asabove stated, the elongation which the pipe undergoes in my improvedprocess is incidental, and it may be and preferably is ignored in theconstruction of the machine. In other words,the orifices betweensucceeding pairs of rolls are substantially equal, and the succeedingpairs of drivingrolls are driven at the same peripheral speed.Theoretically the required amount of fiexure could be imparted to thepipe by employing a single pair only of driving and flexing rolls; butin practice it is found that the necessary amount of driving power isbetter obtained by using two pairs of driven rolls, thereby avoiding thedanger of injury to the pipe which would result from concentrating thewhole drivingpressure in a single pair. It will be noted that in mymachine both rolls of each pair of driving-rolls are positively rotated.If only one roll of the pair or set were rotated, there would be aconstant tendency to curve the pipe, due to propulsion on one side andrelative retardation on the other side. .This tendency I desire to avoidwhen the pipe is passing from one pair of drivers to the succeeding pairand also prior to its passage through the scraping-die. It cannot beentirely avoided even by rotating both rolls of a pair of drivers, forin pipe made by the hot process there is usually more or lessirregularity in the walls, and in going through the machine the heavierwall will elongate somewhat more rapidly than the lighter wall, therebycausing the pipe to curve in various directions. To correct thiscurvature, the vertical idle rolls are employed. A single pair sufficesto straighten the pipe between the two pairs of drivers. Beyond thesecond pair of drivers the straightening-rolls 34: are best arranged, asshown, singly or unopposed and alternating on opposite sides of the pathof the pipe. It is found that at least four points of contact arenecessary in this arrangement, and any greater number may be employed,there being preferably in all cases an equal number on each side. It thescrapingdie 35 were omitted, the rolls 34: could then serve in place ofthe rolls 36 to finally deliver the pipe in either straight or curvedcondition. Prior to my invention the process of pickling, well known inthe art, has been, as far as I am aware, the sole practical methodemployed for removing scale from pipes or tubes. This process is slow,laborious, and costly as compared with my improved method, and theresults are inferior. After the scale has been loosened from theinterior of the pipe by passage through my improved machine a finaltreatment by the sand-blast leaves the interior clean and smooth.

It will be noted in the drawings that the driving-rolls 9 11 1O 16 areformed with several sets of grooves, and the guiding-gages, idle rolls,and scraping-dies are repeated in parallel arrangement or sets. In thisway the machine may be equipped for handling different sizes of pipeortubing, there being, as seen in the drawings, two larger grooves andthree smaller ones on the driving-rolls, with other parts ofcorresponding dimensions, and provision is also made by such repetitionfor taking account of the variation in standard sizes of commercialpipe. A quantity of pipe or tubing classified as of a given diameterwill usually vary more or less from this diameter on account of wear inthe pipe making or drawing dies or from :other causes, and accordinglyif the driving-rolls are set to an adjustment corresponding to thisdiameter and a length of pipe which is slightly over diameterisintroduced into the grooved space intended to receive the normal sizethe rolls might injure or destroy the pipe. For each size of pipe thatthe machine is intended to treat I therefore provide two or more sets ofgrooves in the driving-rolls, each of a slightly different depth fromthe others, and I make the'internal diameters of the gages 26 tocorrespond with the grooves, so that the operator can try the end of thepipe in one of the gages, and if it will not readily pass through thiswill be an indication that the pipe would not properly pass throughthe-corresponding grooves in the driving-rolls. He can then try the nextlarger gage until one is found through which the pipe will pass. Thegage then acts as a guide to properly introduce the pipe to the rolls.The differences in the depths of the several sets of grooves, gages,

&c., corresponding to one size of pipe are too small to be clearlyindicated on the drawings; but the construction will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description.

The scraping-dies 35 are made in two halves held together by bolts 37 37and are thus adjustable to vary the size of the die-opening. The meetingfaces of the two die parts at 38 may be filed away to reduce theopening, or thin shims of metal, paper, or other material may beinserted at 38 and removed from time to time as the die wears and it isdesired to reduce its opening.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, although without having attempted toset forth all the forms in which it may be made or all the modes of itsuse, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In a machine for loosening scaleon metal pipes, aplurality of pressure-rolls adjusted to produce aprogressive inward fleXure of the walls of the pipe without materiallyreducing the diameter thereof in order to loosen the scale.

2. In a machine for loosening scale on metal pipes, a plurality ofpressure-rolls adjusted to produce a progressive inward fiexure of theWalls of the pipe without materially reducing the diameter thereof inorder to loosen the scale, and means for thereafter controlling thelineal shape of the pipe.

3. In a machine for loosening scale on metal pipes, a plurality ofpressure-rolls adjusted to produce a progressive inward flexure of thewalls of the pipe without materially reducing the diameter thereof inorder to loosen the scale, and a series of unopposed abutments arrangedon opposite sides of the path of the pipe for controlling the linealshape of the latter.

4t. In a machine for loosening scale on metal pipes, a plurality ofpressure-rolls adjusted to produce a progressive inward flexure of theWalls of the pipe without materially reducing the diameter thereof, andmeans for removing the loosened scale from the outer walls of the pipe.

5. In a machine for loosening scale on metal pipes, a plurality ofpressure-rolls adjusted to produce a progressive inward fiexure of thewalls of the pipe Without materially reducing the diameter thereof, andmeans for removing scale from the inside of the pipe.

6. In a machine for loosening scale on metal pipes, the combination of aplurality of idle rolls arranged to engage the pipe on opposite sides,pintles upon which said rolls are mounted, each pintle being adjustableeccentrically about an axis transverse to the plane of rotation of itsroll, and means for supporting said pintles.

7. In a machine for loosening scale on metal pipes, the combination of adie adapted to engage the periphery of the pipe, driving-rolls adjustedto engage the pipe and force it through said die Without materiallyreducing the diameter of the pipe, idle rolls located both in front of,and beyond said die and alternating on opposite sides of the path ofsaid pipe, said rolls being positioned to compel the travel of the pipealong a predetermined lineal line.

8. In a machine for loosening scale on metal pipes, the combination of apair of opposed rolls grooved to conform to the pipe and adj usted toflex the walls thereof inwardly without materially reducing the diameterof the pipe, said rolls having different pairs of grooves, each paircorresponding to a predetermined commercial size of pipe, but differingslightly in the orifice or pass which they offer for the passage of thepipe, and an equal number of guiding-gages located in advance of, and inline with, the openings formed by the grooves, said gages havingdifierent-sized orifices corresponding to the'dilferent sizes of saidopenings whereby a pipe may be gaged to its proper pair of grooves andhave its walls flexed without materially reducing the diameter of thepipe.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES N. BROWN.

